What to do if…
you suspect a mailing address was changed after a death and important letters are missing

What to do now

1. Make the address mail-safe as far as you safely can.
   If you can access the property lawfully and safely, empty the letterbox and keep a dated note of what was there. If you cannot go yourself, ask a trusted keyholder, property manager, landlord, or solicitor involved with the estate to check the post and secure it.

2. Call the police route first if mail may be actively stolen or you feel unsafe.
   If someone is taking post now, threatening you, or you feel unsafe at the property, call 999. If it is not an emergency, use 101 or the local police reporting route.

3. Contact Royal Mail about suspected unauthorised redirection.
   Use Royal Mail support or the Redirection support route and say: there has been a death, you suspect unauthorised redirection or interference with post, and sensitive financial or official letters may be affected. Ask for a reference number and ask what practical steps are available.

4. Set up a legitimate redirection only if you are authorised.
   Royal Mail’s Redirection page includes a Special Circumstances process for applying on behalf of someone who has died. If you are the executor, administrator, or otherwise properly authorised, apply so the deceased person’s post goes to an address you control. If you are not yet sure you have authority, do not apply in someone else’s name; use the next steps to reduce risk while you confirm your role.

5. Ask high-risk senders to stop or hold sensitive post.
   Phone the bereavement or fraud team where possible. Start with banks, building societies, credit cards, pension providers, insurers, solicitors, probate-related contacts, HMRC, DWP, and any organisation that may send verification codes or money-related letters. Ask them to mark the account as bereavement, note that the address may be unsafe, avoid changing the address without executor or administrator verification, and hold sensitive letters or use an already verified secure channel where available.

6. Report suspected fraud if the address change may be linked to money, accounts, credit, or identity misuse.
   If the situation is in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, use Report Fraud. If it is in Scotland, report via 101. Keep the report factual: date of death, when the post problem began, who says they wrote, any suspected redirection notice, and any account or credit activity you know about.

7. Start a simple mail log today.
   Write one page with dates and times of mailbox checks, what arrived, what is expected but missing, who you called, and every reference number. Photograph envelopes if useful, but avoid sharing sensitive document images unless the organisation specifically asks through a secure route.